NIA Arrests Congress Leaders Amid Protests in West Bengal
Judicial officers' gherao: NIA arrests Congress leaders, releases party nominee after questioning
The Economic Times
Image: The Economic Times
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two Congress leaders in Kolkata over their involvement in protests against the deletion of names from electoral rolls in Malda district, West Bengal. The agency also questioned Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury, who claimed he was falsely implicated in the case linked to the gherao of judicial officers.
- 01NIA arrested Congress leaders Asif Sheikh and Shahadat Hossain in connection with protests in Malda.
- 02Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury was questioned and released after a night of interrogation.
- 03Chowdhury alleged political motivation behind his questioning, implicating the ruling Trinamool Congress.
- 04The NIA is investigating the gherao of judicial officers following a Supreme Court directive.
- 05The situation stems from protests related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two Congress leaders, Asif Sheikh and Shahadat Hossain, in Kolkata on Monday due to their involvement in protests against the deletion of names from electoral rolls in Malda district, West Bengal. These protests escalated to the gherao of judicial officers, who were confined in a Block Development Officer (BDO) office during a law-and-order situation. Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury, an associate of the arrested leaders, was also taken in for questioning but was released after a night of interrogation. Chowdhury's mobile phone was seized for examination, and he could face further questioning. He released a video alleging that he was being falsely implicated in the case, claiming that the ruling Trinamool Congress was behind the allegations. This investigation follows a Supreme Court directive for the NIA to take over cases related to the gherao of judicial officers, emphasizing concerns about the credibility of the bureaucracy in West Bengal.
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The arrests and ongoing investigations may heighten political tensions in West Bengal, impacting local electoral dynamics and public trust in the electoral process.
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